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Displaying items by tag: Classic Fishing Festival

#Angling - The 2014 Waterways Ireland Classic Fishing Festival came to an exciting close as local angler John Potters emerged victorious with a total catch over three days of 49.45kg.

His 16.8kg catch on the final day clinched him the Classic title for 2014, along with a cheque for £5,000 (€6,180) and the coveted crystal chalice.

Potters' achievement is all the more remarkable as he is the first angler in the 39-year history of the classic to win the event for a second time, having previously won in 2011.

Close behind in second place was Kevin Rowles from Wiltshire, whose day-three catch on Boa Island boosted his total to 46.94kg, earning him £2,000 (€2,470) and a crystal trophy.

In third place was Brenton Sweeney from Cootehill, with a total of 44.05kg, which netted him £1,500 (€1,850) and a trophy.

In fourth overall was Matthew Hall from Nottingham with 43.77kg; Phil Bardell from Milton Keynes was fifth, and Cootehill angler Neil Mazurek completed the leaderboard in sixth place.

Organisers of the 2014 Waterways Ireland Classic said they were very encouraged by the increase in the number of anglers who entered the competition and by the fact that the average catch per angler showed a 2kg increase over last year.

The Classic Fishing Festival was sponsored for the 12th year by Waterways Ireland, with additional sponsorship from DAIWA, and was organised by Fermanagh District Council in conjunction with the Inland Fisheries Division of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.

Published in Angling

#Angling - The 39th annual Waterways Ireland Classic Fishing Festival kicks off today (12 May) in Co Fermanagh with more than 200 fisherman angling for the title of 'King of the Erne'.

This year's prize fund is worth more than £20,000 (€24,500) with venue-based, daily and aggregate prizes up for grabs.

And according to the Impartial Reporter, the week's fishing should be graced by better weather than Ireland's had over the past few days. Find out more HERE.

Published in Angling

#Angling - London angler Peter Vasey topped the pack at the Waterways Ireland Classic Fishing Festival in Fermanagh recently, according to the Impartial Reporter.

Vasey's total catch across two sections at Crom on Upper Lough Erne - weighing in at an impressive 39.51kg - bagged him the £5,000 (€5,944) top prize, as well as a crystal chalice and a Diawa rod and reel.

The top three places all went to mainland Brits, with the highest placing local being Nick Seddon of Enniskillen who finished fifth overall.

This was the 10th year that Waterways Ireland has sponsored the Classic, which also featured top-flight angling action in the four-man team event.

The Impartial Reporter has more on the story HERE.

Published in Angling

Ireland & La Solitaire du Figaro

The Solitaire du Figaro, was originally called the course de l’Aurore until 1980, was created in 1970 by Jean-Louis Guillemard and Jean-Michel Barrault.

Half a decade later, the race has created some of France's top offshore sailors, and it celebrated its 50th anniversary with a new boat equipped with foils and almost 50 skippers Including novices, aficionados and six former winners.

The solo multi-stage offshore sailing race is one of the most cherished races in French sailing and one that has had Irish interest stretching back over 20 years due to the number of Irish stopovers, usually the only foreign leg of the French race.

What Irish ports have hosted The Solitaire du Figaro?

The race has previously called to Ireland to the following ports; Dingle, Kinsale, Crosshaven, Howth and Dun Laoghaire.

What Irish sailors have raced The Solitaire du Figaro?

So far there have been seven Irish skippers to participate in La Solitaire du Figaro. 

In 1997, County Kerry's Damian Foxall first tackled the Figaro from Ireland. His win in the Rookie division in DHL gave him the budget to compete again the following year with Barlo Plastics where he won the final leg of the race from Gijon to Concarneau. That same year a second Irish sailor Marcus Hutchinson sailing Bergamotte completed the course in 26th place and third Rookie.

In 2000, Hutchinson of Howth Yacht Club completed the course again with IMPACT, again finishing in the twenties.

In 2006, Paul O’Riain became the third Irish skipper to complete the course.

In 2013, Royal Cork's David Kenefick raised the bar by becoming a top rookie sailor in the race. 

In 2018, for the first time, Ireland had two Irish boats in the offshore race thanks to Tom Dolan and Joan Mulloy who joined the rookie ranks and kept the Irish tricolour flying high in France. Mulloy became the first Irish female to take on the race.

Tom Dolan in Smurfit Kappa competed for his third year in 2020 after a 25th place finish in 2019. Dolan sailed a remarkably consistent series in 2020 and took fifth overall, the best finish by a non-French skipper since 1997 when Switzerland’s Dominique Wavre finished runner up. Dolan wins the VIVI Trophy.

Dolan finished 10th on the first stage, 11th on the second and seventh into Saint Nazaire at the end of the third stage. Stage four was abandoned due to lack of wind. 

Also in 2020, Dun Laoghaire’s Kenneth Rumball became the eleventh Irish sailor to sail the Figaro.

At A Glance – Figaro Race

  • It starts in June or July from a French port.
  • The race is split into four stages varying from year to year, from the length of the French coast and making up a total of around 1,500 to 2,000 nautical miles (1,700 to 2,300 mi; 2,800 to 3,700 km) on average.
  • Over the years the race has lasted between 10 and 13 days at sea.
  • The competitor is alone in the boat, participation is mixed.
  • Since 1990, all boats are of one design.

2023 La Solitaire du Figaro Course

Stage #1 Caen – Kinsale : 610 nautical miles
Departure August 27 (expected arrival August 30)

Stage #2 Kinsale – Baie de Morlaix : 630 nautical miles
Departure September 3 (expected arrival September 6)

Stage #3 Baie de Morlaix – Piriac-sur-Mer : 620 nautical miles
Departure September 10 (expected arrival September 13)

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